Author: Wende Gonzales

Pastor’s Notes 8/18/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.    –Ephesians 2:13-14

Sunday in worship we will continue our series on Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. Last week we explored the fullness of God’s plan that is mentioned in the first chapter of the letter to the Ephesians. As the Bible unfolds, we can interpret God’s plan to involve, creation, covenant, Christ, church and consummation.

We know that God’s plan is based upon a deep love that not only knows no boundaries but is never limited to a certain group or demographic of people. This week we will explore the fact that God’s plan is necessary.

The hope we find in Jesus’ ministry and mission was to bring a unifying understanding of God’s love intended for Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free. This was a part of God’s plan and the necessity for unity binding all people together in love is just as pertinent today as it was when the church first heard from Paul about it.

God’s intention is for peace and unity, not conflict and division. Together we will explore the role we can play as the body of Christ called to love and witness.

Our worship team seeks your assistance. We would like to hear which of your favorite hymns whose backstory you would like to learn more about. Please list them on the back of orange prayer sheets in the worship space and place them in the basket at the back of the chapel.

Also, we are desiring to have folks share a story in worship responding to the thought, “I am a disciple because __________.” Please let me know if you would be willing to participate in an upcoming worship service, we would love to hear from you!

Lastly, I am curious to know who has been reading these weekly updates. Anyone who can say to me, “Yes I read the email, may I please have a prize?” will receive one!

I look forward to worshipping and fellowshipping with you on Sunday!

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 8/11/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

God has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.  – Ephesians 1:9-10

I love a good plan!

All right, so if my wife were standing behind me as I type these words, she would be rolling her eyes at that comment. Rev. Trish is the planner in our family. She is a great researcher and can formulate on paper a concise course of action.  A person (like me) doesn’t necessarily need to be a good planner to appreciate a great plan.

The beautiful thing about plans is that they are intended to be fluid. Plans change, it is a simple fact of life. If we were asked to tell a story of a time when our plans changed, we could all come up with a full library of options. Plans are good and sometimes backup plans prove to be great.

This Sunday we will begin a sermon series around the Epistle to the church in Ephesus. As we dive into Chapter 1, we are reminded that we don’t know the answers to all of life’s questions. God, faith, and how we interact together is a mystery. But God makes known to us a will for good according to way of Jesus, as a plan for binding all things of God’s kindom of heaven and earth.

We will explore together how the stories of our faith found in the Bible defend Paul’s argument for God having a plan. I look forward to worshipping with you in our chapel this Sunday! 

Many blessings, Brett

DWM making a difference to students in need!

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

The Disciples Women’s Ministry service group of Sun City Christian Church delivered over 400 affirmation cards for student backpacks and over 300 pairs of socks on Monday, July 31, 2023 to the Assistance League of Phoenix. This organization operates Delivering Dreams buses which visit schools in underprivileged areas of the county to outfit students with brand new clothes and school supplies. The children are invited into the buses to select shoes, outfits, underclothes and more.

300 pairs of socks for the Delivering Dreams bus

On the fourth Monday of each month at 9 am, the Disciples Women’s Ministry (DWM) works on service projects including affirmation cards for school students, sleep mats for the homeless, quilts, and more. Everyone is invited to join this group. No experience is necessary!

400 affirmation cards to go into student backpacks

Sun City Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is located at 9745 W. Palmeras Drive, Sun City. To learn more, call 623 972-6179 and visit the website at docsuncityaz.org and our Facebook Page Sun City Christian Church.

Pictured from left to right are Kendra Moore, Michelle Peralta – Assistance League Volunteer Program Director, Ginger Lanier, and Timmie Wilbur.

Pastor’s Notes: 7/30/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Luke 17:20-21.

This weekend begins the General Assembly for our denomination. It is the first time the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has gathered together in person in 4 years. 

Over the last several weeks we have studied together the theme, “Kindom of God: within us, among us.” We are not alone in our faithful pursuits. God is present in so many relevant and revealed ways. It is always good to remind ourselves that we are a part of something more than our personal pursuits. (Please welcome Rev. Dr. Bob Howard as he will remind us of this simple truth from the pulpit this Sunday.)

The reign of God is revealed within our communities. For nearly 50 years we have thrived as the body of Christ in Sun City. Because of our denominational identity as ‘people of the chalice’

And the vision of the region to expand our  witness, we were born. 

As Luke wrote, “the kingdom of God is in our midst.” God is here and is using us to be an extension of love, grace, justice, and peace. We are the embodiment of all Jesus came to be and his hope lives on through us.

I invite you to join our greater collective for online worship together as a church. We are a part of something significant and life giving. May the Holy Spirit bind and remind us of this truth as we prayerfully welcome our inclusion together as a Church.

The link to worship is found at this link.

Nightly Schedule:

SATURDAY, JULY 29
Preacher: Cha. Maj. Owen Chandler
Offering: Pension Fund’s 13th Check 

SUNDAY, JULY 30
Preacher: Rev. Yolanda Norton
Offering: Reconciliation Ministry

MONDAY, JULY 31
Preacher: Rev. Dr. David Anderson Hooker
Offering: Week of Compassion 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 1
Preacher: Rev. Terri Hord Owens
Offering: Disciples Mission Fund

Pastor’s Notes: 7/23/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Hymn: A poem praising God, typically sung.

Hymnody has been, for centuries, the collective response to relationship with a living and present God. Our modern word hymn is derived from the Greek”Hymnos” meaning songs of praise.

Hymns have been a “modern” expression of faith across every generation.  

Scholars note that until the 18th century, most hymnody in churches consisted of singing of the inspired Psalms. During the Protestant Reformation, some reformers, like Martin Luther, began to include hymns. The British hymnodist Isaac Watts has been called the “the liberator of the English hymn” for helping to move from exclusive psalm-singing to hymns. 

According to Christianity Today, Charles Wesley wrote 8,989 hymns (at least three times the output of poet William Wordsworth). Dr. Frank Baker calculated that Charles Wesley wrote an average of 10 lines of verse every day for 50 years! He completed an extant poem every other day.

“Amazing Grace”—Americans’ favorite hymn according to the Gallup Poll—was written by the former captain of a slave ship. That “wretch,” John Newton, eventually became an Anglican minister and worked to abolish the slave trade.

On Sunday we will hear these stories and more as we celebrate the importance of the stories behind the hymns that are enlightening our faith. Our worship team has crafted a beautiful service of music and story. Don’t forget that summer worship will happen in the chapel. As I am out of town the next couple of weeks, please contact the church office or elders with any pastoral needs or concerns.

Many blessings, Brett

Pastor’s Notes: 7/7/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

This Sunday, July 9th, we will begin a new chapter in our worship life together. The location for our weekly worship (still at 9:30am) will now be our beautiful chapel for the duration of the summer. Come and join us for an intimate and casual worship experience. The space is more cost-efficient to cool and since Covid is mostly behind us, being in closer proximity together is less of an issue. Many of you have expressed a desire to utilize this amazing space of ours even more, so here is the perfect opportunity.

According to the memorial pamphlet, The Elsie (Peg) Laybourn Memorial Chapel was dedicated in April of 1987 in loving memory of Peg Laybourn who was a faithful member of our congregation when she died in 1983. Peg had a degree in education and faithfully she had a deep commitment to Biblical Study. She had taken part in and taught the ecumenical, Menninger Bible Course (which is now in its 122nd year of existence). Over 14 years, 321 students learned from her. It was her practice to make this statement to each new class she taught.

“This course is designed to make the Bible its own interpreter, to deal with the Biblical facts and not assumptions. Begin with an open mind- be ready to do away with preconceived ideas about what the text says. When you study- read it as if you had never read it before and most of all prayerfully. And early church leader, Alexander Campbell, said it best: ‘Where the Scriptures speak, we speak and where the Scripture is silent, we are silent.’’

Peg Laybourn was a faithful Disciples of Christ leader, and we look forward to spending time together, worshipping God in the sacred space that was dedicated in her memory. This Sunday we will continue to explore the theme “Kin-dom of God: Within Us, Among Us.” The sermon text is Genesis 11:1-9:

The Tower of Babel

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’ And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’ The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. And the Lord said, ‘Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.’ So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Many blessings and I look forward to worshipping with you in Laybourn Chapel throughout the summer.  The chapel is located in the wing closest to Palmeras Drive so parking under the shade in the back, entering through the library door is convenient. We will continue our wonderful fellowship time in Cobbs Hall following worship. 

Brett

Click here to view this Sunday’s bulletin.

Sermon 6/25/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees every human being. From his dwelling place God observes all who live on earth. God is the one who made all their hearts, the one who knows everything they do.  Psalm 33:13-15

Being looked down upon from above is something my wife Trish and I have gotten quite used to in the last several weeks. Mourning Doves have nested upon a rafter of our pergola in the backyard. At first it was the watchful eyes of whichever parent was upon the nest. The last couple weeks as the two babies have grown so have the number of eyes upon us. Studying us. Quietly observing two humans and a dog.

It is better than watching television. We have been riveted. Every time we are at the kitchen window we look up to the nest. Before letting Beignet outside we sweep the ground with our eyes to make sure no birdie is compromised on the ground.

They have left the nest several times now successfully, and the parents are good at offering advice and a pump-up speech to join them on adventures. They are doing great, and before long they won’t need to return to the nest for protection and safety.

In fact, this morning when I looked up at the rafter it was empty and it felt disconcerting. I have gotten comfortable knowing they were watching. They know us, they are familiar now and they trust us, and we are in a relationship but not dependent upon each other. It feels like faith… with God looking down upon us, always.

I can’t imagine God not being present, mindful of me, nearby but by no means dictating the course of my movement. I take comfort in knowing God is here—observing. Yes, there is some pressure to perform properly, to live as God would want me to.

Accountability is good. And at the end of the day, with the “eye of the Lord’ us may we all be mindful of the better part, that no matter what we do or accomplish, God is with us. Amen!

Sermon 6/18/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Kin-dom of God: Within Us, Among Us

He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’  Mark 4:30-32 

Seeds grow. It’s what they are supposed to do. Seeds have the capacity for great things and with basic interaction with the elements of soil, water, nutrients and sunlight the seeds live into their destiny.

According to the Disciples of Christ General Assembly preaching resource materials, “perhaps Dr. Amy Jill-Levine is correct in her book ‘Short Stories of Jesus’ when she writes ‘sometimes a seed is just a seed, a bird is just a bird, and a tree is just a tree.’ A mustard seed, after all, is supposed to grow into a larger plant. A mustard plant, after all, is intended to be beneficial to the gardener who plants it. It is no stretch to imagine that a tall tree or a tall bush (however big a mustard plant should be), would have birds amongst its branches. What does it mean, then, for Jesus to compare the Kin-dom of God to a mustard seed? Simply put, the Kin-dom of God is meant to grow, and it is meant to be a blessing where it grows.”

Sunday in worship we explored in greater detail what it means for us, the kin-dom of God, to grow. We are supposed to grow. It is what we are intended to do if we truly are doing our part as Christ’s church. We broke down the necessary elements it takes for us as the body of Christ to fulfill our responsibility to grow into a bush with ample branches, limbs, and leaves to nest whoever is flying by and needs respite from our presence.

Sermon 6/11/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, “Look, here it is!” or “There it is!” For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.
Luke 17:20-21

When? When will we see the reign of God? The Pharisee asked, but he is not the only one who has asked. Some folks are out here praying for it “to come,” but Jesus says, “Look, here it is!” So, what exactly are we waiting for? We can wonder if Jesus is telling us that spending all our time looking for signs is futile, and we will be so busy looking for the sky to start falling that we will miss the presence of God’s reign here and now. Could he be saying that it starts with us…When we put our hands to the plow and start preparing to plant seeds, the kindom of God will grow?

Kindom is a concept we will explore in greater detail this Sunday. “Kindom of God: Within Us, Among Us” is the theme for the 2023 General Assembly of our denomination, at the end of July. We will engage with greater intentionality what this means and how are keeping the will and presence of God among us. The reality is, God’s expansive love connects each of us as “kin” and to each part of the larger kindom of God.

Kindom is not evidenced by the number of church buildings, church members, and religious organizations that exist in God’s name, but rather by the healing works we do (physically and systemically). Kindom, we are evidenced by how we treat the widow and the orphan. The evidence is in how we seek justice and walk humbly with God. The evidence is of how we treat the least among us. “When will we see the reign of God?” When we realize God is to be experienced on earth. God is here, inside of us. We don’t have to wait for what Jesus has already revealed!

I give credit for words and inspiration for this devotion to the preparation materials called “Kin Curriculum” put out by the General Office of our denomination.

Brett

Sermon 6/4/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

If I were to ask you to think about a table that has been significant in your life, where does your mind go first?

I have a feeling that if I were to ask you to think about various kinds of tables, a fairly clear picture will come to mind as well as a flood of memories and experiences. Take a few moments and think about each of these tables and what triggers your memory:

  • kitchen table
  • dining room table
  • craft or hobby table
  • work table
  • Communion table

We, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are a people of the table. First and foremost, we refer to the Holy Table of Communion. The Lord’s table is a place where Jesus welcomes all as equally worthy to receive, as well as to go forth and serve another. Each time we gather at this table, it is a unique experience unto the moment. It is a communal encounter shaped by those present.

We are also people of other significant tables. Disciples love to eat. There is something about food on a table to bring us together in conversation and fellowship. Also, at table we study, pray, create, and provide in ways that build up the reign of God in our midst. Community happens at and because of the table.

The text for Sunday is Luke 22:23-30. A dispute has broken out amongst Jesus’ followers regarding which of them could be regarded as the greatest. In verse 27 Jesus gives us another of his patented, ‘yes and’ answers when he replies: “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”

We seek to understand what Jesus meant and to explore in greater detail how we are truly people of the table.